Conventionally, air data probes are fabricated by brazing components together to assemble a probe with a given aerodynamic shape. These air data probes include a mechanism to generate heat to deice and maintain an ice-free condition while operating in adverse weather conditions. The anti-icing and de-icing requirements are the subject of a number of Aerospace Standards and Aerospace Recommended Practices. In 2014, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, issued a new rule in order to improve probe safety by addressing super-cooled large drop icing conditions, mixed phase and ice crystal icing conditions. As a result of these new regulations, the challenge of meeting the anti-ice and deicing requirements for air data probes has become significantly more demanding.
One approach to meet these new demands is to place the heating source (e.g., heater cable) closer to the external surface of the probe portion of the air data probe. Unfortunately, with current fabrication techniques, the probe body may develop gaps around the heat source leading to reduced mechanical strength as well as hot spots within the heater cable and cold spots on the exterior surface of the probe. The hot spots in the cable will lead to accelerated heater cable aging and the cold spots of the exterior surface will act as nucleation sites for ice formation during service.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for fabricating air data probes that distribute heat more uniformly over the exterior surface of the probe portion of the air data probe.